Beijing Hostel
 

I plan to stay in Beijing for five nights in mid-to-late March. I would like to stay at a decent cheap hotel or hostel that I can book on line. It's been said in other threads that the new hostel behind the International Hotel is very nice. Does anybody know its name?

However, I should mention that that would be my back-up. My ideal choice would be a decent single for between $10 and $15 US a night.

And, to make my demands even easier to fullfil by the good people of this board, I'd like something that's within a brisk five-minutes walk from the nearest subway station.

Booking on-line (with the exception of IYHA listed hostels) is both a bad idea and completely unnecessary at that time of year. Just show up, and bargain the price down.

If 'a decent single' means one with private bath (as the hostels often have twins with shared baths), it's a little tricky if proximity to a metro station is also required.

The name of the hostel mentioned is/was the International Youth Hostel, which closed in 2002, but is supposed to have reopened in late 2003. Have a look at the International Youth Hostel Association's website and see if it has reappeared. Before it closed you could buy a bed in a twin with shared washing facilities for Y90, if I remember correctly. There were no twins with their own bath. The email address is/was [email protected], but the chances of getting a reply are fairly slim.

It's generally agreed that the best budget accommodation at the moment is the Far East Youth Hostel only a 10-minute walk (perhaps indeed reduced to five minutes with briskness) from both the Heping Men and Qian Men metro stations. A colleague of mine described it: 'The Far East offers comfortable rooms with sparkling new everything at unbeatable rates. Even the hallways--partly adorned with faux brick and latticed dark wood panels--are pleasant. The hostel maintains cheaper dorms behind a courtyard house across the street, but those in the main building are far better. A good choice even if you usually stay at mid-range places.'

It's south of Qian Men in one of the last remaining areas of hutong, at Tieshu Xie Jie 113, (follow Dazhalan Jie] west, fork left). [tel] 010/6301-8811 ext 3118. Y298 ($37) standard twin (often discounted to Y200/$25), Y60?75 ($8?10) dorm. Metro: Qian Men (exit C).

Slightly over budget.

There's also the Feiying Binguan, which you'll find on the IYHA site (and can book there for the same prices you'll pay in person), a newly refurbished and very hotel-like hostel, I'm told, just southwest of the Changchun Jie metro station at Xuanwu Men Xi Dajie 10, 010/6317-1116, [email protected]. 46 units. Y180 ($22) standard twin, Y50-Y60 ($6-$7.50) dorm bed. Discounts for YHA members.

There are plenty of rooms in Beijing at the prices you want, but they'll be far from spick and span, mostly not so close to metro stations, or really quite far-flung. If price is everything, then something grubbier can be suggested.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Suggest that you check locations, bus routes, etc. yourself on the

hostels international site

which can you give you a thumbnail sketch of what is available or

which can link you to yha china site

China is huge, there are multiple locations in Beijing (5 iyh alone) and only you can determine which one meets your exact needs.

Or try posting your question on the Lonely Planet or some other backpacker site. Fodors tend to cater to an older crowd that prefer lodgings that cost a bit more.

Good hunting!

Following on from my previous posting, here are two hostels which do fall within the price range, but are not so handy for metro stations. I haven't personally seen these, but a colleague has:

Gongti Youth Hostel, located inside the Workers Stadium, a long block west of the Sanlitun bar area, above a three-star hotel (The Sports Inn), a view over pleasant gardens, and brand new facilities. The fourth floor rooms are agreeably curved and all face southeast. The showers and toilets, though communal, are spotless, and if you?re craving privacy, there are single rooms. However, the white tiled floors are a turn off; they?ll have to work hard to create some ambiance. The manager is hoping to arrange discounts for guests who wish to use the sporting facilities within the complex.

Gongren Tiyuchang 9 Tai, 010/6552-4800. Y120 ($15) single room with communal shower.

Zhaolong Qingnian Luguan. Most guests are Chinese backpackers and doors close at 1am to discourage revelers (from the nearby Sanlitun bar area). Twins and dorms are simple and clean; neither has in-room bath, but common showers are adequate. Facilities are minimal. Proximity to the East Third Ring Road means convenient bus access to all parts of town.
Gongti Bei Lu 2 (behind Great Dragon Hotel and Nirvana Health Club), 010/6597-2299. [email protected]. Y120 ($15) twin.

Here are some simple Chinese hotels (some very simple indeed) within reasonable walking distance either of Dongdan or Wangfujing metros. I haven't looked at these for a while--it's always possible that some may have disappeared, although they were there 14 months ago.

Beijing Yudu Binguan, Dong An Men Dajie 37, [tel] (010) 6527 5533. In reasonable condition when last seen, this 50-room hotel is just off Wangfujing to the west and a short walk from the Forbidden City. Singles Y180 ($22.50) with bath. In demand in high season, but bargain for a 20% discount at other times.

Beijing Beifan Fandian (North Hotel) Dong Dan Bei Dajie 45, tel (010) 6525 4406, 10mins walk north of metro Dong Dan. Worn, dark, and basic, but with common bath twins at Y150 ($19), the cheaper rooms certainly good value for the location. Cheap restaurant.

Fang Yuan Binguan, Dengshikou Xi Jie 36, tel (010) 6525 7047. Grubby two star long overdue for a refurbishment and with an unwillingness to discount, but a central location and reasonably friendly staff. Singles for ¥126 ($16, but rarely free because there are only two). The downstairs rooms have little natural light.

Qianxin Binguan, Langfang Tou Tiao 45, (010) 6303 2331. A near-perfect location in a hutong parallel with Dazhalan Jie just south of Qian Men and new enough (last seen 1999, this one) still to be in good condition, and given the location particularly good value for money?as little as ¥30 per bed to stay within 10mins of Tian?an Men Square. Singles Y140 ($17.50).

This one is pretty rock-bottom, but entertaining nonetheless:

Fine Arts Academy (Zhongyang Meishu Xueyuan), tel (010) 6528 2122 walk north up Wangfujing and turn right into Shuai Fu Yuan Hutong past the Wangfujing Quanjude Roast Duck and carry on to the junction (the Art Academy is on your left). Turn left and go in the first entrance to your left and turn left to walk to the back of the Arts Academy block. The elevators are slightly to your left at the rear of the building. Go to the eighth floor to find reception, from where the attendant will walk you down to the 7th (don?t ask why) and past the rooms of full time arts students, their desks with forests of brushes in pots, to show you a neat, clean, bright, simple double for Y120 ($15), (or less, if you have one without TV). The common showers are adequate and there?s hot water from 6am to midnight. A reasonable bargain, given the location, and possibly with a chance to meet some students without a long trek to the university district.

If you get an equally detailed and comprehensive reply with some new hot tip at some other site, perhaps you could bring us past-it big spenders here up to date, too (thanks).

Incidentally, although phone numbers are given, English speakers are few and far between, and the best prices will never be given over the phone.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think I'll book one night online and try to upgrade in the morning. My train is supposed to get in at about 6:30 PM but you never know and I'd hate to be looking for a place in a strange city where the language is virtually a complete mystery to me, though I think someone was right when they mentioned that the time of year would be working in my favor.